Bahir Dar University Builds New Teaching Hospital

The teaching hospital's price tag is 207 million Br

Artistic rendering of the design of Bahir Dar University, a specialised teaching hospital, that has just been completed at a construction cost of 207 million Br.

Bahir Dar University, one of 36 public universities in Ethiopia, has obtained a specialised teaching hospital at a cost of 207 million Br.

Amhara Region Health Bureau initially began construction of the hospital. After reaching a consensus agreement with the University for the new construction it was turned into the University in October 2012.

The agreement was made on the basis that the hospital could benefit both the public and students studying medicine at the university, according to Habtamu Sebhatu, the University’s physical projects coordinator.

The contractors and consultants working on the project have been transferred to the university’s management.

The medical complex building has a basement, five storeys and 400 patient hospital rooms. It comes equipped with a laboratory, teaching classes, a pharmaceutical centre and administration offices.

The university acquired the land free of lease from the city administration. While the complex sits on 6,000sqm of land, the entire premises encompass 10,000sqm.

The hospital will be known as Tibebe Gihon, which translates to “wisdom of Gihon.” The university has been using Felege Hiywot Hospital’s facilities, a general hospital used for training medical students. The specialised teaching hospital will begin service within two weeks.

The new facilities will be an addition to the 128 functional public hospitals across the country.

The 177 million Br project was contracted to Satcon Construction Plc, a three-decade-old company specialising in road and building construction. The consultant on the project was Ultimate Plan Consulting Architects & Engineers, which previously consulted on Jigjiga Regional Hospital, as well as Bahir Dar, Adama and Gonder referral hospitals.

Ultimate was paid 1.7 million Br for supervision and contract administration services alongside a fee of 28,950 Br a month.

Rinnah Thermal Comfort Plc, which built the laboratory hoods and ventilation systems for Mekele and Gondar universities, installed the medical gas system for 18.7 million Br. Techra Engineering Plc, established in 1996, which specializes in metal and electromechanical systems, installed the sanitation and air conditioning systems for 9.4 million Br.

“Such speciality hospitals are rare in the countryside,” argued Mirkuzie Woldie (Prof.), vice president of Jima University’s Institute of Health, who has over 14 years of experience teaching at medical hospitals. “Specialized teaching hospitals help a wide range of communities and support other medical institutions by transferring knowledge and skill.”

Bahir Dar University was established after the merger of two former higher learning institutions, Bahir Daar Polytechnic and Bahir Dar Teachers’ College, in 2000. The university currently has 52,830 students enrolled in its 2019 academic program.